Our Loveliest Small Bedrooms

These bedrooms fit style and function into a small space

Slide 1 Of Our Loveliest Small Bedrooms

Designer Doug Atherley created a serene master bedroom retreat in this cosmopolitan apartment at the Ritz-Carlton Designer Showcase in Chicago. A palette of cappuccino, chocolate, and cream makes the cozy room feel sensual and luscious. Luxurious fabrics also play a big role in this small space. “A lot of the bedroom goes to textures,” Doug says. “The bed covers, the headboard, the carpet, and the fabric covering the walls.” Heavy taupe draperies from Romo maintain the room’s privacy.

A summer home in Cape Cod features classic New England architecture, including a steep slanted rooftop under which designer Maureen Footer tucked a playful bedroom. Twin beds fit snugly under the second-story eaves, while built-in cabinets provide more smart storage. Bright colors and patterns keep the space friendly and bright.

After this home’s remodel, the narrow two-level addition that allowed for a bigger kitchen also provided space for a sleeping niche in the lower-level bedroom. The quaint area is made even cozier with matching blue toile bed cover and bed curtains, and a fabric wall covering.

Designer Carole Weaks filled this loft bedroom with colorful patterns that stand up to the texture-rich walls of the log cabin. A fresh red-and-white leaf pattern on the bed pillows and draperies as well as striped upholstered valances balance out the antique spool-turned beds for a unique mix.

Designer Berkley Vallone’s modestly-sized master bedroom is dressed to the nines in luxurious fabrics, rich textures, and an intriguing blend of classic and contemporary. A leopard print chair and pink pillow at the bed lend pops of bright color, while ebony floors provide contrast. The mirrored bedside chest is topped with a lamp featuring a carved bust of Marie Antoinette. French doors lead to a petite patio and garden.

This sky-high master suite’s airy palette and stellar views make it appear much more spacious than it is. Designer Javier Martín Muriel wrapped the space in crisp white with modern metallic accents and high-gloss finishes for a bright space that focuses on the city outside.

The armoire in this guest bedroom is built into the wall to save floor space. Blue-and-white Osborne & Little chinoiserie wallpaper with a metallic sheen dresses up the tiny space; neutral fabrics on the bed, headboard, and window shades balance out the wallpaper’s vivid hue.

A soft toile pattern creates a serene atmosphere in this guest bedroom. The brown-and-cream Kravet fabric covers walls, furniture, draperies, and even the ceiling to give visual order to the room’s slanted ceilings and nooks and crannies. “The toile fabric helps disguise some of the craziness of the room,” says designer Phillip Sides. “It pulls it all together.”

Wanting a tranquil and cocoon-like feeling for friends and family enjoying her guest room, homeowner and designer Barbara Franceski introduced an iron canopy bed that creates a small room-within-a-room effect. Contrasting fabrics throughout the room reflect the colors of sea glass.

The soaring ceilings of this master bedroom more than compensate for floor space. The iron bed and an oversize lantern from John Rosselli & Associates balance the dimension of the bedroom. Light blue paint and gauzy curtains ensure that the space is well-lit.

Julia Wong’s master bedroom for her Ritz-Carlton Showcase apartment proves that vertical height is invaluable in an urban dwelling. She mounted the Schumacher draperies close to the ceiling to achieve maximum height, letting them fall all the way to the floor. “I wanted to create a space that was sexy but also very soft,” Wong says. A custom wall finish behind the bed lends texture.

A cozy bed is tucked under eaves boasting a slanted skylight in this dreamlike guest bedroom. Lavender-colored grasscloth, Italian glass lanterns, and a quilted bedspread with a subtle sheen add texture to the space. A checkered rug and floral patterns keep the room feeling young and feminine.

An under-the-eaves bedroom with limited space makes the most of every inch with a design that’s sleek, sensual, and packed with surprises. The wood floor is painted with an unexpected oversize diamond pattern whose large scale actually expands the perception of space. Touch-me lamb’s-wool pillows add a sensual accent atop the bed. Stationing the bed in front of the windows utilizes space wisely, as does placement of a glam French-style mirrored dresser in the dormer niche.

This office’s recent remodel into a guest room made room for a bed and oatmeal-colored tufted headboard. The bed is dressed in ivory linens trimmed in contrasting brown. With uneven shelving and curious objects, the built-in bookcase lends interest to the wall. The same fabric that upholsters the headboard is made into pinch-pleated drapery panels hanging from an iron rod at the windows.

A vivid geometric pattern in blue and white coats this guest bedroom’s walls for a contemporary effect. The bed’s airy whiteness is grounded by chocolate accents and a thick tufted headboard. A bench at the foot of the bed suggests Old World-style elegance.

A master bedroom designed by Eric Cohler features working and sitting areas tucked alongside the room’s tall windows. Built-in bookshelves save space behind the plush armchair, a perfect spot for reading. A glass-topped table functions as a desk, the clear glass cleverly masking its size. A neutral palette keeps the overall mood light and casual.

In this urban loft designed by Eric Cohler, neutral colors mix with modern textures to create a balanced and restful master bedroom. A cream-colored area rug promotes synchronicity with the Greek key-patterned bedspread. The patterned but sheer window treatments allow plenty of light to stream in, giving the window a polished look.

The master bedroom in this cozy log cabin uses some smart tricks to appear more spacious. A single door was replaced with two narrow doors that take up less wall space when opened. Sand-hued grass cloth walls give the room a contemporary edge while breaking from the log walls throughout the rest of the home. A modern painting by Dennis Campay mixes easily with antiques.